NY schools prohibiting home-baked fund raisers

[labradors]

In order to hold fund-raising "bake sales," parents in New York City schools must NOT actually bake anything, but are now required to buy pre-packaged, processed junk foods, of specific brands, in specific package sizes, from a specific supplier. In response, a group of moms is holding a "bake-in" protest.

[DFen911]

We have that out here in Calif too. Seems it's because some people are not as sanitary as we would like.

[Vanquisher]

I tried to bring in homemade cupcakes for my daughter's birthday last week, and was turned down. I had to rush to the store and spend way too much money on inferior cupcakes so that my Kindergartener would have them, as promised, for her birthday.

I think things are sometimes way overboard.

[cjs]

"I think things are sometimes way overboard." - again, ruin it for the masses because of a few idiots. geez.

[labradors]

It's like the time that girl in Georgia was suspended from school because the school's "zero tolerance" policy declared the chain on her Tweety-Bird wallet to be a weapon.

Remember: zero tolerance means zero thought. As one commentator put it, "Zero Tolerance policies are brought to you by government officials who want to escape the hard work of logical thought. Behind every zero tolerance policy you will find a collection of bureaucrats celebrating the fact that they won't actually have to use any common sense to noodle out a problem when the need arises. Zero tolerance policies are the essence of bureaucratic thought, and hence government."

[esgunn]

Ugh - it all just pi$$es me off!

[labradors]

Another great reason to homeschool and to avoid the government-controlled schools.

[Gourmet_Mom]

I understand the frustration, but on the other side of the issue are children with food allergies. The local school system I work for does not allow home made products, either. Apparently, several years ago, a child got deathly ill after consuming a home made product at school. The system was in danger of a law suit, so all home made goods were banned from school.

I miss my "grown up Christmas Party" I used to have. I'd go all out with table clothes, crystal and silver, flowers, candles, and grown up party food and fancy punch. And the kids would dress up in their Sunday best. Lots of parents would attend, too. The kids were always on their best behavior and manners were discussed before hand.

[foodfiend]

I can't get over that report on El Nino. I'd love to see what becomes of little Jeremy Levine in a few years...

Are there more food allergies now than there were years ago? Mom made cupcakes for my birthday every year in elementary school and no kid in either of the 3 schools I attended suffered ill effects. We had bake sales regularly for Girl Scouts, and nobody requested peanut-free or gluten-free items. Is there a reason why food allergies are (or, seem to be) so prevalent today?

[Gourmet_Mom]

You would be surprised. There are a number of kids who bring their lunch for that very reason. Plus, it only takes one law suit to "kill" a tradition like cupcakes at school for your own child. You guys living in an area with good bakeries are lucky. The kids at the local primary get some pretty crappy cupcakes from the local small town grocery that leaves your mouth the color of the frosting and tastes like foam. In defense of the store, they do the best they can, but REALLY! A few kids are lucky to have a parent that will go to the city to a REAL bakery for cake/cupcakes, but that is rare!

The surprising revelation is the number of kids that choose to not eat AT ALL! I'd guess half the students I teach don't eat, and half the ones that DO eat brought their own lunch. If you could see the lunches...better yet, TASTE the lunches...you'd see why children who don't get a nutritional meal at home choose not to eat at all at school.

Example: I observed a number of children who purchased or "received" a meal recently with a meat (chicken tenders, I think...kinda bad when you're not sure what it is to look at it), a veggie (sweet potatoes from a can with no flavor added), and an orange. They peeled the orange, ate it, and threw the tray away. These were children from the group that consistently BUY or RECEIVE a lunch! Many who probably don't get a very nutritional meal at home. Sad.

I don't blame my lunch ladies. I know they can cook better than that. The "recipes" passed down from "on high" are what they are required to serve nowadays. It's really quite frustrating and depressing.

Okay...I'll get off my soapbox now.